In many areas where municipal utilities do not provide water, users must rely on subterranean wells for their needs. The ground waters found in these wells often contain dissolved minerals, such as sulfur. These waters can emit an unpleasant odor caused by the escape of dissolved gases, such as sulfur dioxide. These gases normally escape from within the well casing through openings in the well cap, causing localized stenches.
A method for preventing the buildup and concentration of these noxious gases within the well casing and for improving the overall quality of the well water is desirable. It is known in the art to treat sulfurous waters by mixing potassium manganate with the well water. Such methods require separate pumps and mixing tanks. In addition, potassium manganate is a hazardous substance that requires careful handling. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a safe means for dissipating well odors and improving water quality in a manner that requires minimal capital expenditure and no maintenance.
It is also known in the art to use venturi type devices to aerate bodies of fluids. U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,099 issued to Kukla on June 2, 1981 discloses a venturi device which is placed in the main discharge line of a pump and operates to aerate fish tanks and the like. Because the known devices conduct the full pump discharge, the venturi restriction may impose limits on water flow which are less than a given pump's rated capacity. The structure of the known devices is also not conducive to operation within a well casing. It is therefore a further object of the invention to increase the quality of the water discharged from the well by increasing the amount of dissolved air in relation to the noxious gases without affecting the rate of discharge of the pump.